Comparative Study of the Essential Oils of ThreeAchilleaSpecies from Iran

Abstract The composition of the oils from leaves and flowers of three Iranian Achillea species (A. talagonica Boiss., A. vermicularis Trin and A. biebersteinii Afan.) was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. During the flowering period, all three oils consisted mainly of monoterpenes. 1,8-Cineole and camphor were the predominant compounds in the oils of A. talagonica (27% and 20%) and A vermicularis (29% and 32%) respectively. The major components of the oil of A. biebersteinii were ascaridole (37%), piperitone (17%) and camphor (12%).